U.S.
Jonathan Drake / Reuters
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who spent five years as a Taliban prisoner after leaving his combat outpost in Afghanistan in 2009, was arraigned Tuesday on charges related to his disappearance.
Bergdahl, 29, was ordered last week to face court-martial after being charged earlier this year with desertion and endangering U.S. troops, with the latter offense carrying a possible life sentence if he is convicted.
His case has been controversial. Some soldiers resented the military resources devoted to searching for him, and Republicans criticized Barack Obama's administration for the deal that freed him in a prisoner swap with the Taliban in 2014.
Bergdahl is now stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, near the hospital where he has been treated since his release from captivity.
His arraignment by a military judge at Fort Bragg in North Carolina lasted less than 15 minutes.
At the hearing, Bergdahl opted not to decide yet if he wants to be tried by a judge or a panel of military personnel serving as a jury. He also deferred entering a plea.
He answered "yes" and "no" to questions about whether he understood his rights and the court proceedings. He wore an Army dress uniform with a dark blue jacket and pants and had closely cropped hair. He mostly sat still in his chair and walked with his head down as he left the courtroom. The next scheduled hearing in this case is on Jan. 12, 2016.
Bergdahl disappeared on June 30, 2009, from Combat Outpost Mest-Malak in Paktika province, Afghanistan, and was captured by Taliban forces, who subjected him to torture and neglect.
He left his post to draw attention to "leadership failure" in his unit, he said on the popular podcast "Serial," which is following his case.
In ordering the court-martial, Army Gen. Robert Abrams did not follow the recommendation of a preliminary hearing officer who, according to Bergdahl's lawyer, called for Bergdahl to face a proceeding that could impose a potential maximum penalty of a year in confinement.
Al Jazeera and wire services
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